Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes was heckled during a visit to Birmingham as he was tasked with explaining tuition fee increases.

Mr Hughes faced a group of placard-waving protesters ahead of a debate with students at Birmingham City University’s Perry Barr Campus.

He was appointed as an advocate for access to higher education in December – even though he abstained on the vote to raise the cap on tuition fees.

The MP met with a group of 20 students to discuss changes to tuition fees and plans to encourage pupils from poorer backgrounds to think about their future careers at an earlier age.

Among those who protested alongside students and Perry Barr Labour MP Khalid Mahmood was Aslam Wassan, who graduated from BCU last year with a degree in business and management.

The 52-year-old said: “I came today because I am really angered by the tuition fee increases.

“The decision has already been made so I don’t see what good talking to students now will do.”

But Mr Hughes insisted it “wasn’t too late” to encourage people to go to university despite some universities including the University of Birmingham charging £9,000-a-year tuition fees.

He said: “I’m not here to sell the policy of higher tuition fees, but I am here to sell the fact that we want people to have a real understanding of what the policy means and not put people off going to college or university.

“I am here to hear what young people have to say about what they think can be done to encourage people to go to university or college, and to get young people themselves involved in the process of getting that message across.”

As well as explaining tuition fee repayment schemes which will come into force next year, Mr Hughes also discussed plans to offer careers advice to secondary school pupils from Year 9, and work experience placements to children as young as 10.

Mr Hughes, who also visited Solihull College, will report back with the findings from his visits to Prime Minister David Cameron at the end of June.

Student Laura Hall, who attended the debate, said she felt the event was “worthwhile”.

The 21-year-old from Dudley said: “We might not be able to do much to change increased tuition fees, but at least we are being encouraged to say how we can encourage students to still think about university.”